The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-09-28
BEN BUTLER TALKS.
The Boston Advocate Speaks LsnisntlY Of the
Anarchists.
A CoDparisOn With the Bomb rhrowers
of the RebsIlieR-Civl Service and Mas
saehasetts Elections.
Globe Democrat.

the supreme court Oh the united STATES,
who, iT is said, is to meet you here for the
purpose of hearing your views upon the
questions involved in the Anarchist
T..Nothing," replied the General, ''could
be further from the truth. When last
heard OF Judge Miller he was in Phila-
delpbia, attending the Constitutional Gen.
tennial celebration. / have not seen him,
however, and certainly have not c0mmu-
execution of the Anarchists"
us it not true that you have been APP
preached with reference to the contem-
plated appeal of the Anarchist cases to the
Supreme Court of the United States?"
YES; that much is true"
s'Dc you intend to assume the taskG'
az sm not prepared TO answer that ques.
ton, because L have not examined into
the natter fully. What l might discover
upon Close inspection IS not to be guess ed
at. However, from superficial knoWl-
edge of the case against these men, L am
not sure that an appeal would have stand
ing in the Supreme Court of the country.
1t would be necessary before the matter
could be transferred to that tribunal that
some question of national law should be
involved. 1t is not enough that the
record of the trial should be black with er-
rors for these errors have reference simply
to the Jurisprudence of the State in which
the trial took place. 1t may be, however,
that the construction of the national law
has been violated, and, should this prove
TO be the case, then the matter is properly
within the purvlew of the United States
Courts.
81 would consider it my duty" said
Gen. Butler. ''to do what is possible for
these condemned men if l had fair reason
TO believe that l could assist them with
honor TO myself and my profession. l
a 49, 49,,
appeal to save human life, and | see no
reason why should hesitate in this case,
if, as 1 have said, the Federal law has bsen,
in the least degree, encroachcd upon
wrongfully in securing their conviction.
These convicted Anarchists" contInu-
ed the General, "are men ignorant of the
customs OF our couatEy. Under the in
fluence of fancied wrongs, aggravated N
their minds by misrepresentation and mis-
apprehension of the character of our in-
situations, they dashed themselves into
fury and threw bomb, or caused bomb
to be thrown, by which some men we're
killed. The cry of the people is 'Hang
them Lynch themp
Now sand the General, laying his
index finger alongside his nose, suppose
We check our pace a bit in the matter, aud
look back few years. It isn't 80 long ago
that bombs were being thrown in this
country right and left, and the men OF the
nation were being moved down like so
many sheep. The men who threw the
bombs under this condition of affairs were
not poor, ignorant, misguided foreigners,
but men OF brains. ! might almost say the
brains of the nation. But they were the
brains of the nstion gone wrong. Now,
this Is the point / want to make, and |
think ii good one, and / think that toe
readers of the Globe Democrat will think
it a good one. These bomb-throwers of
the rebellion were forgiven. Nobody
imagines that they weren't fully conscio1
of the enormity of their crime against the
Government and even they would resent
the suggestion that they had thrown
bombs for four long years of blood without
knowing what they were throwing them
at, or why. And yet who is it to-day that
asks that the rebels shall be hanged? Tn g
threw bombs at me by the ton, and yet
am asked 10 take them by the hand, TO
erase from my mind the recollecti0ns OF
the numerous occasions when they tried to
blow me into smithereens, aud embrace
them as / would so many brothers.in-law.
At the same moment that this doctrine is
being preached, and through the
success of which the arch-conspira-
tors against the nations life are to be
brought back into the fold, there is
a howl for the blood of the seven poor
wretches who were parties to the throwing
u y ODDO5lAAOn W lu6y
did not understand, and do not under
stand even now. think that this cutlery
should be silenced. There is too much of
it that suggests the thirst for blood, and an
appetite of this character is not to be en-
cOursg5d in this great country. Our bust
ness with these people. If the law will war
rant it, is to correct their absurdihes and
make them to comprehend that they are
in a country of freemen, and must abide
hU he mi . Of ha majority hair
my principles, think | am right when l
say that | will represent the cases of these
men If the question of Federal law is in
volved in the crimes charged against
them"
The reporter asked MIN his opinion OF
the civil service campaign of President
Cleveland.
There is something in this civil service
humbug," said the General, 'that is just a
little TOO much for my apprehension.
fail to understand why it is that al ad-
ministration will waste its time in forcing
upon the people of the country q system
which is repugnant to the sentiment OF
their institutions. Nine out of every ten
men in the National House OF Representa-
tiVes are now and always have been op.
posed to civil service reform, and ia the
Senate three out of every four are against
{. never have seen any public man, who
was in favor OF it. It's undemocrati? en-
tirely mlschievous, and opposed TO the
spirit of our governmental institutions-''
THE President" said the General, with
an accompanying smile that helped the
light from the gas Jet to make things IN
the room look cheerful, lis all right but
he don't do all right"
The interview was interrupted .as thla
point by the Generals dusky attendant
who handed him dispatch from Boston.
"Hal hap he exclaimed, they've nom
mated Henry 3. Lowering for Governor of
Massachusetts, on the Democratic ticket,
and-and," added Gen. Butler, bursting
into hearty lauhg, they've adopted .
resolution recommending Offices TO Demo-
crats. Well, that's the funniest thing L We
heard Of since was in the army. But no
see, by looking little more closely, thai
the resolution recommends Democrats foI
Offices"
Butte get back toiour subject, resumed
the General, Sit is said we must have the
officers of Government selected solely mp
on the results Of literary examination
and this in face of the fact that the theory
Of our Government is clear that every man
every boy in every cottage, can fit himself
to be the President of the United States
not only in theory, but in practice. Whist
il true OF the Presidency is true OF every
other Office that is subordinate to Ii. II
with statesmen In Congress we win saw
uh< 81 e. kI.as- ~ u.